1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to data processing systems and, in particular, to a data processing system and method for disguising a computer's identity. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a data processing system and method for disguising a computer's identity by utilizing an anonymous UUID instead of the computer system's real UUID.
2. Description of the Related Art
Personal computer systems are well known in the art. They have attained widespread use for providing computer power to many segments of today's modern society. Personal computers (PCs) may be defined as a desktop, floor standing, or portable microcomputer that includes a system unit having a central processing unit (CPU) and associated volatile and non-volatile memory, including random access memory (RAM) and basic input/output system read only memory (BIOS ROM), a system monitor, a keyboard, one or more flexible diskette drives, a CD-ROM drive, a fixed disk storage drive (also known as a “hard drive”), a pointing device such as a mouse, and an optional network interface adapter. One of the distinguishing characteristics of these systems is the use of a motherboard or system planar to electrically connect these components together. Examples of such personal computer systems are IBM's PC 300 series, Aptiva series, and Intellistation series.
A computer system requires a basic input/output system (BIOS) in order to operate. The BIOS is code that controls basic hardware operations, such as interactions with disk drives, hard drives, and the keyboard.
When a computer is reset, the computer system is initialized. When the initialization is complete, a boot process begins when POST begins executing. POST uses the initialization settings to configure the computer. BIOS then controls the basic operation of the hardware utilizing the hardware as it was configured by POST. The boot process is complete upon the completion of the execution of the POST commands.
Each computer system includes a Universal Unique Identifier (UUID). The UUID is a 16-byte number which is unique for each computer system. The UUID is a part of the computer system and is a standard way to identifier particular computer systems. The UUID is programmed into the computer system during the manufacture of the computer system. There are standard calls to allow application programs to access the UUID.
The Internet is revolutionizing the way many people live their lives from shopping to seeking entertainment and information. However, there is a disadvantage to using the Internet. A user loses his/her privacy when the UUID of each computer system accessing the Internet is tracked. For example, a merchant could track which users are using the merchant's services by tracking the UUID of each computer system which accesses the merchant's Internet site.
Currently, in order for a user to remain anonymous when accessing entertainment and conducting transactions, the user must conduct the transactions and access entertainment without using the Internet. For example, a user can pay for merchandise using cash. Reading a newspaper or watching broadcast television will not result in others learning what articles the user reads or program which the user watches.
Therefore a need exists for a data processing system and method for disguising an identity of a computer system.